Once and Future Prince
by MagicSwede1965
Summary: Christian's reward for his role in bringing home the crown gets him and Leslie some unwanted attention. Follows 'Quest for the Royal Glory'.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** _Part Three of this story arc. Again, thanks to PDXWiz for the original idea, into which I was luckily able to fit another I had had in mind for a time. Also, as ever, thanks to jtbwriter, Harry2, Bishop T, Kyryn, and all other faithful readers. Happy New Year!_

§ § § -- September 4, 2004

"She didn't say that, did she?" Christian asked, staring at Leslie. "Tell me she didn't say that. Please."

"Are you sure you want me to lie, my love?" Leslie asked, not without sympathy.

Christian groaned aloud and shifted his pleading stare to Carl Johan. "Then _you_ tell me she didn't say that."

Carl Johan grinned widely and said, "Oh no, _ungstebror_. She did indeed say that. I'm sorry, but hearing a lie about it won't save you from it."

"The bane of my existence," Christian muttered. "Publicity! And that's all there'll be till we go home, and quite likely for some time thereafter. Why doesn't someone track down that diver and throw him in the limelight? I expect he'd appreciate it more."

"Not necessarily," Leslie said and giggled. "I know you hate publicity, but it's for a good cause. The original crown is home, you helped it get here, and as your reward, you're getting your title back. You're going to be more than a footnote in _jordisk_ history. You'll be the Grand Savior of the Original Royal Crown." She made it sound like an additional title, and when Christian glared at her, she started to laugh in chorus with Gabriella. "Hey, believe me, I still don't think I deserve to be called a princess, but obviously your title comes complete with one for me and for the babies too. But I have to tell you, as little as you like to admit it, you're still a prince at heart and you always will be, title or none."

"And how precisely do you draw that conclusion?" Christian demanded.

"My darling," Leslie said with a patient smile, "you've been a commoner for three years, but that can't erase a lifetime of being royalty. No matter how hard you try, you can't totally overcome your upbringing. I think it's most noticeable when you give an order and you expect it to be carried out then and there, without questions. That's the sign of a man who grew up a prince, and you've never been able to shake that. Not only do you expect it to be carried out, you don't even consider the possibility that it won't be. There's a certain tone in your voice that gets it across to other people that you've just issued a royal edict and arguing with it is not an option. You're a prince, Christian, like it or not."

"Now it'll simply be official again," Gabriella added gleefully.

Christian looked at Carl Johan in disbelief, only to see his brother nod. "She's right, Christian," he said. "It's true. Most of the time you downplay it, and if you grow too imperial you always apologize; but there's no arguing with an order you give, and you would never tolerate it. People recognize that and do as bidden. It's as simple as that."

"Aunt Leslie said everyone in your business and on the island calls you 'prince' in any case," Gabriella reminded him.

"No, not everyone," Christian corrected. "Mateo, Beth and Anton don't." He sighed then and admitted, "But Julianne and Jonathan still call me 'Boss Prince', and everyone else both here and in London addresses me as 'Your Highness'. And yes, Mr. Roarke's employees and even his guests still call me that."

"So what's the use, then, in trying to pass yourself off as a commoner?" Carl Johan asked practically. "You've been so, at least officially, for three years, just as Leslie said—and it's had almost no effect on people. You're still treated as a prince, so you may as well take back your title and resign yourself to actually being one."

Christian closed his eyes for a moment, his hand still moving a little across Tobias' back as his son slept on his shoulder, and then muttered, "Have those vultures left yet?"

"I'll check," said Carl Johan and went to do so.

Gabriella lifted Karina from Leslie's lap and cuddled her against her shoulder, stroking her little cousin's downy hair. "Truly, Uncle Christian, is it so bad to be royal? You couldn't help being born royal, and neither could Grandfather, so you can't even blame him."

At that Christian opened his eyes and peered at the young queen with an arched eyebrow. "There's plenty I can blame my father for, including this," he assured her, then let out a heavy sigh and looked at Leslie. "Perhaps it bothers me less to be royal than that it gets me so much unwanted attention. Today's media in particular are bloodthirsty. Let no good deed go unpunished and no bad deed go unreported, that's their motto."

Leslie laughed and tipped over to kiss his cheek. "Oh, come on, this is good news, and it can only be a good thing. Not only that, it involves the royal family; so if someone steps out of line, you can hand down an official punishment and Gabriella can make sure it gets carried out."

That made Gabriella laugh and Christian roll his eyes and snort. "They love to dig up dirt; that's all they do nowadays. When they tape whatever overblown ritual is required for the restoration of my title, they'll probably come up with the madness that blew up when Astrid Franzén revealed she had AIDS." He eyed his niece as Carl Johan returned and looked on. "What about Anna-Kristina? Shouldn't she have to go through this as well?"

"Her title was never actually revoked," Gabriella explained to him, patting Karina's back. "The parliament spent so much time arguing over the revocation of one title almost on the heels of another that they never got around to carrying it out. And of course, the two princesses who gave up their titles before you did are long dead, so it would be absurd to restore theirs. It's you and you alone, Uncle Christian…although you won't be truly alone up there. Aunt Leslie and the babies will be with you."

Leslie sat up straight, evoking laughter from Gabriella, Carl Johan and Christian, the last of whom tried to keep his mirth quiet for the sake of his sleeping son. "Hey, wait a minute!" she blurted. "You mean I have to go through another exhausting ritual in order to take on a title again? Please, Gabriella, no pomp and circumstance!"

"Pomp and circumstance are inevitable when you're dealing with royal matters," Carl Johan pointed out, laughing. "I'm sorry, Leslie."

"It's true," Christian agreed, equally mirthful. "You know, Briella, Anna-Laura did a wonderful job at the power transfer—you could ask her to come up with something." He caught Leslie's puzzled look. "In 1992 the family realized that Father's Alzheimer's had progressed to a point that he could no longer be relied on to rule competently on a regular basis; so we dusted off a ritual that had last been performed in the sixteenth century. We conferred what is known as _rex pro tempore_ on Arnulf, meaning that while he was still Prince Heir as long as Father was alive, he had the power to act in the king's stead where matters of government were concerned. The last time this was done was when it became clear that Erik VIII was exhibiting a steadily worsening case of madness, and _rex pro tempore_ was conferred upon Prince Lukas, who later became King Lukas I. But when the transcripts of the event were finally unearthed, the wording was found to be obtuse and archaic; so Anna-Laura, the head of parliament, and the attorney who was to be present at the transferral of power collaborated to recast it into modern-day speech. They did a marvelous job of it, and I think she would enjoy the challenge of creating an entirely new ceremony."

"It would be a one-time thing," Leslie said, "if the government can ever get off its collective rump and strike down the revocation-of-title law."

"True," Gabriella said, "but it would also become a historical event, and Aunt Anna-Laura's notes and such would probably be kept in the Museum of _Jordisk_ History along with footage of the ceremony and…and…" She lit up. "And a document, signed by the two of you, formally accepting your titles again."

"Fates have mercy," groaned Christian.

Leslie grinned resignedly. "We'll have to hope they do, my love. Looks like we're going to be put through the paces, no matter what we want. So how long is it going to take to concoct and arrange a ceremony and get all the details ironed out?"

"Two weeks, if I have anything to say about it," Gabriella said with determination, "and less if possible. I'm going to begin right now." She transferred Karina to Carl Johan's embrace and hurried out of the room.

"Did the vultures leave?" Christian asked.

"Yes, they're gone," Carl Johan said, amused. "It's safe to come out now. In any case, Briella will have to wait until Anna-Laura's come out of conference with the representatives from the museum, so perhaps that will give you two time to adjust to what lies ahead."

"_Now. Now is the time to go."_

"_Now? But it's ahead of schedule!"_

"_I've made all the necessary plans. This is the time to strike; there will never be a better one. Never again will they be so willing to flaunt their good fortune. I've had all I can stand of seeing it. All summer long we've been forced to endure the news, and enough is enough, do you hear me? We leave now!"_

"_All right, all right. I'll get the others. Perhaps we can get ourselves some good fortune in the bargain…a good monetary fortune, that is."_

"Stop your laughing. We won't need thievery when we've got through with them. Get the others and let's go, we have no further time to waste."


	2. Chapter 2

§ § § -- September 6, 2004

"I've pushed it through," Gabriella announced proudly at the dinner table that evening. "We can go through with the ceremony, Uncle Christian—parliament agreed that recovering the original crown was more than enough justification for restoring your title to you. Now, Aunt Anna-Laura, you can go ahead and write the ceremonial speeches."

"Ach, yet another chore on my list," Anna-Laura murmured, shaking her head and giving Christian and Leslie a sympathetic look. "I'll try to keep it short."

"What about displaying the crown at the museum?" Christian asked.

"Ah yes…that's been settled," Anna-Laura assured him. "They have one team set up to begin restoration of the _Royal Glory_ when she's delivered to the museum tomorrow, and in the meantime a second team has begun final cleanup and polishing of the crown. They have a heavily fortified display box ready for it and, once it's been placed in its final position, the security team will put alarms, cameras and other devices in place before the crown is locked into the display box. They're hoping to complete all this by Friday so that you and Leslie can come out there and cut the ribbon for the official opening of the exhibit."

"More pomp and circumstance, my Rose," Christian said with a grin at Leslie. "But ribbon-cuttings aren't so bad. We'll have the chance to tour the museum as well, I expect, so you'll enjoy that."

"Why don't you take the triplets with you?" Gabriella suggested. "That would bring out the crowds for certain."

"I don't know if they're ready for that," Leslie said doubtfully.

Christian grinned at Gabriella. "I think she means she doesn't know if she's ready to give them such mass exposure. Frankly, I'm not certain of it myself. With so many people expected to be there, I think it better that they remain here. They'll have enough exposure to large crowds at the restoration ceremony."

"Did someone send for Anna-Kristina and tell her she should be here for that?" Gabriella wanted to know.

"I e-mailed her, don't worry," Margareta said. "She's to bring Mateo and Natalia as well. It's a shame, Aunt Leslie, that Mr. Roarke couldn't come."

Leslie smiled. "He's likely to see it on TV," she said. But she found herself wishing the whole crazy series of events had already ended and that she, Christian and their children were on their way home. She frowned to herself. It wasn't as if she'd never felt that way before, but for some reason the sensation was much stronger this time. Uneasy now, she laid her fork on her half-empty plate and looked up, speaking to Amalia, the first person whose eye she caught. "If I could be excused…"

"Of course," Amalia replied, and Leslie quickly arose and left the dining room as fast as she could without running. She had a sudden urgent need to make sure her children were all right, to talk to Roarke…something, anything.

Before she'd gotten to the door of their suite, Christian had caught up with her. "Wait a moment," he said, catching her arm a few steps shy of the door. "What was that all about? Is there a fire somewhere?"

"There might be," Leslie mumbled, biting her lip.

Christian frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

She looked pleadingly up at him. "I'm not sure how to explain it. I just got this sense of foreboding out of nowhere. Maybe it's crazy, but I have this feeling, as if something's going to happen. Something bad."

Christian considered that for a moment, then focused on her. "Maybe it's the elevated public agenda getting to you. We don't usually undergo that much press coverage, but since the raising of the _Royal Glory_ and the recovery of the crown, and then, of course, the restoration of my title, you must be feeling spooked."

"Maybe that's it," Leslie murmured, not quite convinced.

Christian gathered her into his arms. "Do you need to talk to Mr. Roarke?"

"I think I should," Leslie said slowly. "In light of the nature of Father's business, I learned fast enough not to just dismiss such a strong sensation out of hand. In all honesty, I wish all this were over with and we were on our way home right now."

"I as well," Christian admitted. "That's all right, my Rose. Let's go in and have a talk with Mr. Roarke. If he feels you should pay attention to that feeling, then I'll mention it to the family and we'll try to work something out."

They slipped into their suite, where Ingrid was just changing Karina and the other triplets lay on the bed nearby. Susanna and Tobias both smiled hugely when they saw their parents come in the door, and Karina turned her head and beamed as well. Leslie had to laugh, and Christian grinned with some relief, following her across the room to the bed. He spoke in _jordiska_ to Ingrid, who nodded, finished changing Karina's diaper and left the room. Meanwhile Leslie settled carefully onto the bed and lay on her stomach in between Susanna and Tobias, while Christian put Karina onto her tummy and then lowered himself onto his own stomach on the bed facing Leslie, with the triplets between them.

"I can't let anything happen to them," Leslie said softly, reaching out to trace a fingertip down each triplet's cheek. "It's a miracle they even exist, and if anything happened…"

Christian watched her, and when she met his gaze he urged quietly, "Call Mr. Roarke. You need to discuss this with him."

"Yeah," she agreed with a sigh and lifted herself off the bed, picking up the phone and punching out the number from memory. Christian murmured to the triplets in his own tongue, making funny faces at them, and Leslie smiled wistfully, waiting for the connection to go through, her stomach knotting.

"Yes," Roarke's voice sounded in her ear.

"Hi, Father, it's Leslie. I hope I didn't disturb you," she said a little anxiously.

"Not at all, child," Roarke responded warmly. "How are Christian and the children?"

"They're all fine," Leslie said, still watching Christian with the babies. "I…um…"

"Are you all right? What's wrong?" Roarke asked.

Leslie swallowed, then sighed deeply and wandered across the room to the windows, unaware of Christian's gaze on her. "I'm feeling…strange. Out of nowhere at supper I got the feeling that something bad's going to happen, and it was a really strong feeling, too. I'm not trying to suggest I have ESP or anything like that, but the sensation was so urgent that when I told Christian, he said I should call you."

"Good advice," Roarke said. "Leslie, can you pin down any aspect of this feeling? Do you have a sense, for example, of whom this will happen to, or when, or of what might happen? Is there anything specific about it that you can identify?"

Leslie frowned. "I'm not sure," she said slowly, examining the emotion and going over her memory of its initial onset. Finally she admitted, "No, I don't have any specifics, just this certainty that something's going to go really wrong."

"What do you think triggered it?" Roarke asked.

"I remember thinking at supper that I wished all these high-profile events were already done and over with and that Christian and I and the babies were on our way home. And that's when it hit me, just like that."

Roarke sounded faintly confused. "What 'high-profile events' do you mean?"

Leslie explained quickly about the _Royal Glory_ and the discovery of the original royal crown. "The raising of the ship has been covered pretty extensively in the local press, and when it gets out that the crown's been found—and that Christian was on the boat when it happened and personally brought it back to shore—they'll go nuts. The national historical museum has the crown now and they're cleaning it and preparing to display it, and if they stay on schedule, Christian and I will cut the ribbon on the display on Friday. And what's more, since Christian brought back the crown, Gabriella decided he should be rewarded—so his title's being restored to him once a ceremony's cooked up."

"I see," said Roarke, sounding quite surprised. "Yes, I understand that these are indeed unusually high-profile events. Did you say Christian's title is being restored?" At Leslie's affirmation he remarked, "I'm sure he has mixed feelings about it, not least because of the enormous publicity that will surround the two of you."

"And I think that's why I feel something bad will happen," Leslie said. "We'll be very visible, and unless other people besides Christian take me seriously and put precautionary measures into place, a tragedy could occur."

For a moment Roarke was quiet; then he said, "It's been my experience that such strong foreboding should be heeded. By all means, make sure Christian's family knows how you feel, and if necessary, have Christian help you explain it. Even if in fact nothing happens, you'll feel better knowing you took steps to prevent a possible problem."

"What if something does happen?" Leslie asked worriedly.

"Leslie," Roarke said kindly, "as the saying goes, don't borrow trouble. Be alert, but don't let the possibility consume every moment. You'll ruin yours and Christian's time in Lilla Jordsö, you'll transfer your anxiety to the babies—who will be very difficult to deal with in that case—and you may well irritate Christian and the rest of the family. Just let them know about your feelings now, make certain they'll be acted upon, and then put it to the back of your mind. There is no doubt that there will be adequate security measures for you and Christian and the children. Try to enjoy the week."

Leslie smiled a little. "I guess I'll feel better once we've told the others," she mused. "The more people who know, the more relaxed I'll probably be. Okay…thanks, Father."

"Of course, child," Roarke said. "Give the family my greetings, and let me know when you and Christian are likely to be home."

She agreed, and they exchanged goodbyes and hung up. Christian promptly asked, "What did he advise?"

"That I should let the rest of the family know, so that they can decide what steps need to be taken," Leslie told him, replacing the cordless phone on its base and joining him and the triplets on the bed again. "And then, I'm supposed to pretty much forget about it."

"Exactly so," Christian agreed. "The triplets will sense your feelings and become a trio of little devils as a result, unless you refuse to allow it to consume your entire being."

"Father said something similar," Leslie said, nodding. "Okay, I don't have any problem with that, but the sooner we tell the others, the better."

Christian grinned and teased her, "If only for my peace of mind, whether you have any or not." Leslie rolled her eyes and he chuckled. "Try not to worry so, my Rose. It might help reassure you to know that whenever the family does appear, alone or en masse, at one function or another, there's heightened security, after those barbaric attacks in New York a few years ago. And it will be particularly tight around these events. I believe it was a college friend of Gerhard's whose security company the family employs, and I understand they're as thorough as they can be. Now if you'll put a second triplet in my arms, we'll take the babies back in to see the family, and perhaps you can finally finish your meal."

"Maybe we'll be in time for dessert," Leslie said with a little grin, lifting Tobias and placing him into his father's embrace along with Susanna.

"You didn't finish your supper," Christian singsonged back, and they both laughed as Leslie picked up Karina and they all headed back to the dining room.

§ § § -- September 8, 2004

"_This place is a hole. You idiot, why couldn't you do better than this?"_

"_We're hiding, you fool. You must have left your brain at home."_

"_Shut up, both of you! We have too much to do to hide in plain sight, the way you think we should. We've already spent more than we can afford on a week's rent for this place as it is, and it's eating into the budget we planned for the operation. No more newspapers or magazines. Just use the television, it's cheaper."_

"_How much do we have left?"_

"_Barely enough…"_

"_Before you start to argue about money again, look at this. This could give us all the information we need to put the plan in motion."_

Christian remembered having really enjoyed family press conferences as a child; in those days it had been fun. Now, as an adult, he found them tedious, and was happy not to have to participate often in them any longer. This time the adults were all gathered in the great entry, as they did when the press came to cover the royal family's Christmas celebration; and Anna-Laura was explaining about the restoration of the _Royal Glory_, which had just arrived at the museum the previous day and begun the long process of being made ready for display. "There is a special basement room that is being prepared for the ship, where people can view it once it's ready," she concluded.

"And what of this great treasure that rumor has it Prince Christian is involved with?" someone wanted to know. "Will you also reveal that?"

The family looked at one another; they'd talked this over in great depth at breakfast, trying to decide what the best course of action would be in order to prevent anything untoward taking place. When Roald had pointed out that Gerhard's friend's security firm was devoting its entire staff to all these events, Gabriella had decreed that it was time to tell the people what the "treasure" actually was. Carl Johan took over for the reply to this question. "Yes, we'll do it now," he said. "Christian, of course, was on a shipwreck-search excursion with a firm from the U.K., examining the _Royal Glory_ to ascertain that it could be raised. At the same time, this concern had another ship out, exploring what proved to be a group of three Irish shipwrecks not far from the site where the _Royal Glory_ lay. The divers on that vessel had been bringing up a great many artifacts from the bottom, and one of these attracted special interest. Christian himself had a hand in its cleanup, and was the one to realize that in fact a diver had found the original royal crown of Lilla Jordsö—the one lost by King Erik VII in 1542."

For about two seconds absolute silence filled the great entry; then loud gasps went up and heads turned to exchange shocked, amazed looks. Christian found himself having to stifle a broad grin; he caught Leslie's eye and she winked, making the grin break out and triggering a curious thought as to how much of the conference she was picking up, since it was being held entirely in _jordiska_.

"We also have a special surprise," Gabriella put in, from her place on the throne, around which the rest of the family stood or sat. Liselotta sat on one side with Christian and Leslie, while Anna-Laura, Carl Johan and Amalia sat on the other, and Gabriella's sister and cousins stood behind the older adults on either side of the throne. "You're aware, of course, that a motion to strike down the law of title revocation has been pending for many months in parliament. While I have been considering several drastic measures to end the meaningless and time-consuming debating, I felt it only right that my uncle be rewarded for his hand in the discovery and return of the original crown. Therefore, I hereby announce that on September 18, 2004, my uncle shall have his rightful title of prince restored to him, and from that date will once again be known as His Royal Highness, Prince Christian."

This created still another stir, and Christian glanced at Leslie, whose face betrayed a hint of claustrophobia. The conference was beginning to get to her, he realized. He reached out and grasped her hand, squeezing in reassurance. A question cut through the growing chatter: "What of Prince Christian's wife and children?"

Christian and Gabriella looked at each other, and she gestured to him; he squeezed Leslie's hand again, then released it and raised his own for silence. "My wife will regain the title she acquired upon our marriage," he said, "and our children will also receive the titles they would otherwise have been born with."

"Will there be a formal ceremony?" someone shouted.

Gabriella stood, and Christian smiled again at Leslie. She still looked a little spooked, and her earlier fears came back to him. As Gabriella responded to the question, he leaned to her and murmured, "It's all right, don't worry, my Rose. Don't forget, we have security on full alert, and there'll be extra people on the days of the ribbon-cutting for the crown exhibit and my title-restoration ceremony. If anyone is planning anything, they'll have a lot of human beings to get through before they reach us."

Leslie nodded slowly, then said, "I guess we can't exactly hide the triplets when they restore your title…after all, they'll be 'crowned' too, so I suppose they have to be there. I think that's what's worrying me the most."

"You shouldn't fear," Christian told her. "We're having formal invitations printed up, and they'll have a special hologram on them so that they can't be counterfeited by anyone who might want to do us harm. No one without a hologrammed invitation will get into the castle for the ceremony, that I can promise you."

Leslie smiled, looking a little sheepish. "All that extra expense because I got scared for no concrete reason."

"Not so," Christian reprimanded gently. "You had plenty of reason. That crown is worth immeasurable money; and the family knows enough about Fantasy Island and Mr. Roarke by now to pay attention to any hunch you have—especially when it's as strong as this one was. And don't forget, the Liljefors clan is still under official protection by royal decree, for reasons that wouldn't surprise Mr. Roarke at all. When you spoke out, we knew to pay attention. Stop fretting, Leslie, please, all right?"

"I'll try," she murmured, and he had to grin at her truthfulness. He kissed her cheek and sat up again, tuning back in to the conference.


	3. Chapter 3

§ § § -- September 8. 2004

When it ended, everyone was hungry and headed for lunch in the dining room. The talk involved minutiae until the kitchen servants had laid out the meal and other servants had brought in Matteus, Viktoria, Lisi, Susanna, Karina and Tobias so that the youngest members of the family could be with the rest. Matteus, the oldest of them, was almost three and could talk a little; Liselotta set him in a chair atop several telephone directories and tucked a napkin into his collar. The future king beamed up at his mother, who kissed his cheek and smoothed his hair before settling into the chair beside him. Gerhard caught Leslie and Christian watching, and said with a grin, "He already has impeccable table manners."

"I don't suppose that's because someone's been drilling it into his head that he's going to be the king one day, and kings have to have such good manners?" Christian teased. They all laughed, and when the little ones had been settled and the servants had all cleared the room, the family got down to business.

Gabriella tapped on an empty glass to get the family's attention. "I think it's best if we find out the status of the restoration ceremony first," she said, speaking in English for Leslie's benefit. "I gave September 18 as the date for the event, and I hope we can be ready to hold the ceremony on that day. Aunt Anna-Laura, do you need help with the speeches?"

"I've called for some already," she said. "The attorney who was present when we gave Arnulf _rex pro tempore_ has retired, but he agreed to give me any assistance I might need so that the wording of the speeches will be airtight in legal eyes. The whole event should last no more than fifteen minutes, perhaps twenty."

"That's bearable," Christian said, evoking chuckles. "And while I'm thinking of it, what attire do you recommend for this, Briella?"

"As formal as possible, as for a coronation," Gabriella said and peered at Leslie. "Do you need to do some more shopping, Aunt Leslie?"

"Well…I hate to impose, but I didn't know…" Leslie began and bit her lip. The men grinned and the women looked at one another with sympathy.

"That's all right," said Gabriella. "We'll go out with you, and we can take the babies with us. We can even get them new clothes for the ceremony. After all, they'll become royalty right along with you!"

Christian said, "Don't get too excited, Briella. I don't know if Leslie is very willing to just take them out in public—remember the feeling she spoke of to Mr. Roarke, and the advice he gave her. Besides, I think you'll find the shopping much easier if you don't have to worry about the triplets. I have my white dress uniform with me, so I can just wear that. Is there to be some restriction on colors, as in the coronation?"

Gabriella muttered, "I really should rewrite that. I looked at all those rules after we had mine, and all the while I was thinking that most of them were unnecessary and must have been written just because of you, Uncle Christian. Anyway, I do think this should be quite formal, but it doesn't have to be so solemn. It's a happy occasion." She grinned at him. "You can say what you like about the triplets staying here, but I still think they should have new clothes for this. It will give us a chance to look at pretty baby things."

"Any excuse to go shopping," snorted Roald, and they all laughed. "Don't torture us, Briella, we men have enough discomfort when we wear our dress uniforms." He had just completed the minimum six-month mandatory military service imposed on _jordiska_ men.

"I doubt you would know," Anna-Laura returned with a raised eyebrow and a teasing grin. "You haven't even worn yours yet, Roald Helmer Olaf." The family laughed. "But I see no reason the uniform wouldn't suffice for the men. Does yours still fit you, Carl Johan?"

"I beg your pardon," Carl Johan said, affecting a haughty affrontery that brought on more laughter. Cheerfully he added, "Not to worry, _lillasyster_, my uniform fits just fine. I think what bothers me is that you failed to ask Christian the same question."

Leslie grinned wickedly and said, eyeing Christian sidelong, "Oh, both of his still fit—and let me tell you, he looks good enough to eat in them." Teasing hoots rose from the younger adults, while Christian shrugged with pretended modesty and Carl Johan, Amalia, Anna-Laura and Leslie laughed, Leslie sliding an arm around Christian and squeezing. "So," she said, "does that take care of the clothing part?"

"I should think so," said Gabriella. "We'll have to decide how many people, and just whom, should be invited to this, and how Uncle Christian and Aunt Leslie and the babies are to be brought out for the ceremony, and what time we should hold it. We should decide on that last before anything else, so that we can tell the media, and the television station can arrange to fit it into its schedule for that day."

"When is Anna-Kristina to arrive?" Margareta wanted to know. She shook her head in disapproval. "I don't think marriage and motherhood have cured her of her flightiness. She was supposed to tell us when she and Mateo and their daughter would get here."

"She told me," Gabriella said, narrowing her eyes at her younger sister. "What's wrong with you lately, Magga? You're turning into as big a perfectionist as Pappa was."

"No fighting, please," Christian said with a slight chuckle. "You can hash out your sisterly differences later, when she gets here. Just don't subject poor Mateo to it."

Gabriella turned to him and said, "Oh, Mateo isn't coming. Anna-Kristina said that he was afraid to leave the business, with you away from it. Besides, he doesn't want to be seen on television."

Christian laughed. "Typical Mateo! I suppose he doesn't really have to be here, but I hope Anna-Kristina is at least bringing Natalia."

"She said she will," Gabriella said. "They'll be here the day before Uncle Christian and Aunt Leslie are to cut the ribbon on the royal crown exhibit at the museum, Magga, just so you'll be satisfied that she'll be here in plenty of time for the ceremony."

Margareta sighed. "Barely in time, I daresay. All right, then, so what about rehearsing for this ceremony? I'm sure we'll have to go through the paces so that we know where to go and what to do, and it doesn't look like a stage play for which no one ever bothered to learn any lines."

Anna-Laura gave her niece a stern look and admonished, "That will be enough, Margareta. You may take after your father, but you are not queen, and even if you were, that wouldn't give you the right to endlessly criticize others."

Gerhard cleared his throat then and glanced at his wife and children before speaking. "This may sound like a complete change of subject…but I thought you should know. Liselotta and I have agreed that we're going to need a larger home, with the children getting older. They've shared a room since Viktoria's birth, and it's just not proper any longer, we think. So we've put the flat up for sale, and we're looking at houses near Vattenskant. In fact, we've already seen two that we like, so it's a matter of making the decision."

Margareta looked excited at that. "Perhaps I could step in and buy the flat."

"With what?" her cousin asked, laughing. "You devote your life to charities, Magga, and you don't even drive. How could you afford it?"

"I do drive, just for your information," Margareta told him. "And I draw an income from the castle treasury, just like the rest of us."

Christian started to laugh. "Magga, before you make any grand plans, you'd better ask Gerhard and Liselotta what price they've set on the place. They stretched themselves a bit thin to buy it from me as it was, and what with the way real estate prices seem to spiral up so quickly, I'm sure they'll want a fair amount more than I asked for it. Really, I think I've started a trend of some sort. Gerhard becomes a consulting engineer and moves out of the castle in my wake, and now here's Magga trying to do the same thing—but, as Gerhard pointed out, without a visible source of income."

"You don't make enough to afford the asking price," Gerhard said. "On the advice of the real-estate agent, we're hoping to sell for 1.4 million _jordiska kronor_. Truly, are you so stifled here in the castle that you feel a need to get out?"

"What of you? What were your reasons for moving out?" Margareta parried.

"Why don't you discuss it between yourselves," Carl Johan broke in, "before this becomes a family fight in which people start to take sides."

"I'd just like to know what brings this on," remarked Rudolf curiously. "With Uncle Christian, it was pretty clear that he wanted to get away from Grandfather and Uncle Arnulf before it came to physical blows, and it was obvious for a long time. With you, it's out of nowhere, and you don't state a good reason."

"_Herregud!_ Can't a princess have her independence as well?" Margareta demanded.

"Enough!" Gabriella snapped, and everyone fell silent. "We aren't discussing this. As Uncle Carl Johan said, it's between Gerhard and Magga. I suggest we move on to other things—most importantly, the shopping trip for Aunt Leslie. I'll go with her—who else is planning to come along?"

After Anna-Laura, Liselotta and Amalia said they would go as well, Gabriella said curtly that they should finish lunch, and this was done mostly in silence. Christian, though amused, didn't make any comment. After lunch, when they had retreated to their own suite and were busy feeding the triplets, Leslie ventured, "You seemed to think Gerhard's and Margareta's fight was kind of funny."

Christian laughed, patting Tobias' leg when his son shifted in the crook of his arm. "Well, in some respects, it is. Rudolf had a good point when he wondered what Magga's reasons were. You know, of course, why I struck out on my own; and Gerhard told us why he and Liselotta bought my flat on the day you and I were married, in those last hours while you and your friends were getting ready for the wedding at Grady and Maureen's house. We were gathered in the bungalow Anna-Kristina and I had been using, and Gerhard explained that Liselotta had been suffering from indirect persecution by the servants—whispers, sidelong looks, even outright fear in some. He was in a position to remedy the problem, so he and Liselotta offered for the flat and bought it before I had been on the island a full twenty-four hours. So no one can claim that Gerhard didn't have a good reason for moving out of the castle. However, Magga hasn't explained herself, and Gerhard's right when he says she can't afford the place."

"Is she supposed to tell the family why she wants to move out?" Leslie asked.

Christian shrugged and readjusted Tobias' bottle. "Not strictly speaking, no; but I have a feeling her sister and cousins will pester her until she finally does explain. I doubt it's privacy issues; there must be something else."

Leslie nodded absently, looking down at Karina and Susanna, then back up at Christian suddenly. "You know what? We're in Anna-Kristina's old room. Where will she and Natalia wind up? I hope they don't end up in your old room!"

Christian grinned at that. "That would just be cruel. No, I expect Briella will put them in what used to be Axel and Cecilia's suite. Anna-Laura moved Lisi in with her after Ceci and Axel died, and she hasn't been in a hurry yet to give Lisi her own room. I think she'd better, though, or Lisi will be a very smothered and spoiled young princess."

Leslie nodded again and let her gaze stray out the window. "In a way I can't blame her, though. In a world like this…"

"Don't think like that, my Rose," Christian said gently. "Try to keep a positive outlook. I promise you, another two weeks at the maximum and we'll be on our way home."

§ § § -- September 10, 2004

"_There they are, look at them…smug as can be. That entire family is like that!"_

"_I don't see anything smug about them. I just hate them because they took her in…"_

"_Have you nothing better to do than to insult and criticize? Shut up and listen to the broadcast, damn the lot of you! They might have more information on the re-crowning of the prince, and then we can begin to put our plan in motion."_

"_I'm fed up with waiting. I'd rather go out there and do this immediately. Just take them both out, now. We have all we need."_

"_I'll take you out first if you don't shut up! I really am the only levelheaded one in this ridiculous group, I can see that. You have to understand that we're going to have only one chance at this, and unless we coordinate this exactly right, we'll fail."_

"_What are you going to do if we do fail, by the way? You have a contingency, don't you?"_

"_If we fail, we abandon the entire thing. We don't have enough money or resources to keep chasing them, and we've spent enough of both on this—not to mention time. We've wasted too many years concocting something foolproof, and if this fails, I refuse to continue. We have better things to think of in any case."_

"_You can give up, but I refuse to. I'll get our revenge, somehow…"_

"_We'll have our revenge if you'll shut your mouth and do precisely as I tell you. Any mistakes, any deviations, by any of you, and failure is certain—and it will be your fault, not mine or that of my plan. For the last time, shut the hell up and pay attention."_


	4. Chapter 4

§ § § -- September 10, 2004

Christian wore a Brooks Brothers suit, complete with jacket and tie, and Leslie was clad in an elegant Carolina Herrera gown, which made her feel as if she were masquerading in someone else's life. But the ruby-hued dress fit her perfectly, and when she had expressed her shock at how comfortable it felt—contrary to her expectations—the entire royal family had burst into laughter. "Just wait till we finish that shopping for you," Anna-Kristina had said eagerly. "You'll be amazed at what you can own!"

She was taking her cues from Christian now, standing in a small room in the museum with TV cameras, overly bright lights and a slew of reporters standing around the two of them and the display box containing the royal crown, covered with a heavy black-velvet cloth. Outside the doorway of the room waited most of the museum staff, with the director and curator in the room with Christian and Leslie. Christian seemed at ease here, and Leslie had decided she would just follow his lead; he would be doing most of the talking, but she was slated to say a few sentences in her husband's tongue, having undergone some intense rehearsal with Anna-Kristina, Liselotta, Gerhard and Christian. She also knew what Christian would say, at least in summary; while the museum director was scheduled to give the primary information about the crown and to thank Christian for his role in its recovery and donation to the museum, Christian did have a short speech to make.

She was discreetly admiring him in the expensive, carefully tailored suit when he turned to her and caught her at it. He grinned at her blush, then leaned to her. "Are you all right, my Rose? We're to begin taping in just a few minutes."

Leslie bit her lip. "Tell me if I'm saying this right, in case I botched something up on the way out here." Christian's grin widened a bit, but he readily agreed and stepped closer to her so she could whisper her lines into his ear. He listened, then drew back enough to nod and grin again at her.

"Very good, my Rose," he said. "Now all you have to do is say them with some inflection." She groaned and he snickered. "We told you what they mean, and it's not completely alien as compared to English. You yourself said some of the words looked familiar."

Leslie sighed and said, "Yeah, well, if I try to inject some emotion into my lines so I don't sound like a robot talking, I'll probably mispronounce some vowel or put the emphasis on the wrong syllable."

Laughing, Christian wrapped an arm around her and squeezed. "You're going to be fine, Leslie, I promise you. Say them essentially as you would in English. I admit that _jordiska_ is a tonal language, like the other Scandinavian tongues, but no one expects you to have mastered that. It's enough for the people that you speak the language at all. Try to relax a little. Do you remember your cue?"

"Um, yeah…_min fru ville säga några få ord_, isn't it?" she asked, stumbling slightly over the _jordiska_ words. Christian nodded, and she blew out her breath. The phrase meant "my wife would like to say a few words". She just wished it was actually true!

"Good," he murmured again, then went alert at a signal from someone standing near the television camera. "Oh, it's time. Just follow my lead."

She stood quietly beside Christian while a reporter in a smart dark-green suit edged with white piping faced the camera and provided a brief report about the recovery of the crown. After a couple of minutes the woman turned to the museum director, introduced him and stepped aside. While he spoke, Leslie tried to emulate Christian, who stood relaxed with his hands at his sides and a slight smile on his face. Like him, she watched the director; she couldn't really understand what he said, but Christian had assured her she didn't have to, and that all she needed to do was listen for her cue.

The museum director asked Christian a question, and he nodded, responding with a few quick words. The director smiled, then said something else and gestured at Christian and Leslie with one hand. That was the cue, Christian had told Leslie, for the two of them to remove the velvet cloth. He stepped to one side of the display box and she to the other; they each grasped a corner and pulled the cloth up and back at the same time, revealing the box with the now-immaculate and sparkling crown inside. Gasps went up, and Leslie saw the cameraman zoom in for a better look at the crown.

The reporter, standing beside the museum director, asked a question, and Christian launched into the speech he was to give. The cameraman panned up to focus in on Christian while he spoke, and Leslie watched her husband now, admiring his ease before the camera and his relaxed fluency in his own tongue. Here and there she picked up the odd word and began to feel a little better; it was somehow reassuring to understand even a little bit of what was going on around her.

Then Christian concluded with his cue words, and Leslie drew in a breath and spoke her lines, as naturally as she possibly could while using an unfamiliar language. _"Jag är glad för chansen att vara här med Christian efter en så stor upptäkt. Dehär är et underbar ögonblikk i jordisk historia ock det är et privilegium att vara vitne till det."_ Then, having told everyone she was glad for the chance to be with Christian after such a large discovery, that it was a wonderful moment in _jordisk_ history and that it was a privilege to be witness to it, she shot him a mischievous look and added a line she herself had cobbled together. _"Ock jag tackar Christian för at han hjelper mej at lära språket!"_

Christian's astonished expression made everyone burst into laughter; Leslie giggled, and Christian rolled his eyes and good-naturedly joined in the merriment. She'd wanted to thank him for helping her to learn the language, and had decided to do it publicly without telling him about it. He hugged her, chuckling, "You certainly surprised me!"

"It was supposed to," she said cheerfully. "The look on your face was worth it." He gave her a quick squeeze before partially releasing her to shake hands with the museum director, who then did the same with Leslie before the reporter stepped in to follow suit. It took the assembled media crew quite a while to get their fill of examining the crown from all possible sides, and Christian and Leslie found themselves answering various questions—in English, to Leslie's relief. It was almost an hour before Christian finally found a moment to check his watch and let everyone know that he and Leslie needed to get back to the castle.

"Before you leave," the TV reporter said hopefully, "what about your adorable triplets? Do you suppose we'll have another chance to see them before you return home?"

"Perhaps," Christian said, chuckling. "They'll be with us next week when my title is restored, but till then anything is possible. We do have security concerns, of course, so it's better not to count on it, but one never really knows."

"I'd hate to spoil them," Leslie added with a grin. "Now that they're about to get their own titles, it'll be enough of a chore to keep them humble, once they're old enough to understand." The reporter laughed and thanked them, and Christian and Leslie at last were able to make their way out of the room, with a bodyguard on either side of them, and out to the castle limo that would take them back.

"Well," Christian remarked once they were on the road, "you seem to have survived that easily enough. As a matter of fact, my Rose, you did beautifully. You spoke every word exactly right—including your little ad-lib at the end there."

"Did I sound natural enough?" Leslie asked.

"Of course you did," Christian assured her with another laugh. "That's the most I've ever heard you say in _jordiska_ at one time."

"But what about the fantasy where we saw the founding of the country?" Leslie asked him playfully. "I was speaking it the entire day we spent there."

Christian shook his head. "No, that didn't count. Mr. Roarke's translator is the equivalent of a cheat sheet—and besides, it's too perfect, because it rendered your speech into flawless, fluent _jordiska_. This time you spoke it for real, through your own effort, and I have to tell you, I find your accent irresistible." He leered comically at her, and they both burst into laughter before he gathered her close and kissed her.

After several minutes in which Leslie no longer knew or cared where she was, he lifted his head suddenly and rolled his eyes. "I just remembered—I'm sorry, my darling. We never got to take that tour through the museum."

"Tour?" Leslie mumbled. "What tour?" Before Christian could do more than let out a small huff of amusement, she pulled him back to resume their kiss.

When they reached the castle, they'd lost track of everything, and nothing had any effect on them till Anna-Laura's voice cut through their fog. "Well," she remarked through a laugh, "no one can ever spread a rumor that you two are breaking up. There's not a soul who would ever believe it, the way you carry on."

Christian huddled Leslie close and said regally, "Frankly, _äldresyster_, I deserve it! I've been through enough trial in my day, between Johanna, Marina and every other woman I met in the course of looking for love. I'm going to celebrate my love and savor my wife, and if I do it in public, so what?" But Anna-Laura and Leslie were grinning at each other, and even Christian couldn't hold up the façade when he noticed. Their chauffeur stood on the other side of the open door, wearing a smile of his own, and when Christian and Leslie got out of the car, he beamed at them, doffed his cap and bowed.

The family watched the unveiling of the crown on the news that evening, and Leslie stared at her own image on the screen with a jaundiced eye. Her expression must have conveyed her dissatisfaction, for Anna-Kristina asked, "What's wrong?"

"They're right," Leslie muttered. "TV really does make you look fat. Mariki would just love this if she could see it."

"Don't you dare start," Christian warned her. "You look beautiful, my Rose, no matter what you think. The only person who doesn't like the sight of you on television is you, do you understand? Now you wait…you'll enchant everyone in the country because you're trying so hard to learn our language, and we'll see positive comments in tomorrow's paper."

"Let me suggest something," Carl Johan said. "After Christian's title is reinstated next Saturday, why don't you bring the triplets along and come with Amalia, Anna-Laura and me to the television station. There's a Sunday-morning chat show that has aired for years here, and after guests appear on it, audience members are allowed to come and ask questions and get autographs if the guest is willing to give them out. If you continue to make the effort you are now, Leslie, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the reaction of the people."

"Why not?" Christian agreed. "The babies will probably love the attention, and the security is always tight around such live programs."

"Did they have this scheduled before the announcement about your getting your title back?" Leslie wanted to know.

Christian cast his brother a questioning look, and Carl Johan nodded. "They did, yes, because of the _Royal Glory_. It was thought that having all the members of our generation of the family would be a nice touch. You can return to Fantasy Island after that and go back to your nice quiet lives."

"Quiet?" Amalia asked, eyeing him. "With three babies in their house?"

Carl Johan shrugged. "All right, not so quiet." They all laughed. "But you understand what I mean. And once you're safely on your own home soil, Leslie, perhaps then you'll be able to relax, and those unusual worries you're having will leave you."

"Maybe," Leslie murmured, wondering if he'd be right, hoping he would.

§ § § -- September 15, 2004

"_She's been gone almost five hours. How long does it take to finish the job?"_

"_As long as it takes. If you were going to complain, you should have gone with her."_

"_And crawl around the perimeter of that place, through all that immaculate shrubbery? I think not. But you'd think that—"_

"_I'm back. Why aren't you two asleep? You know we need all the rest we can get."_

"_What of you, then, Super Spy? What did you get for us?"_

"_There's extra security around the building, day and night. The only thing that saved me from detection was the trees keeping their leaves. There are four guards posted at the main entrance alone, and one about every five meters along the wall facing the road. If we want in, we'll have to do it from the ocean side."_

"_Damn. Damn, damn, damn. Someone's onto us…"_

"_Probably her—she always claimed to have a 'feeling' whenever she thought something bad was going to happen. It's too bad she didn't have that same feeling when—"_

"_Shut up, you idiot. What about the side walls? Are there guards posted there as well? The south end is where the garages are, and those large doors would be among the more vulnerable points."_

"_They know that. There are five guards on the south end and three on the north end. I looked into the courtyard, and there are more guards there as well—and every one of them is armed with at least one weapon each. They're going to go bankrupt paying all those people. Unless we can get one of those invitations, there's no way we're getting in there."_

"_I suppose in that case, we have no choice. Go into town tomorrow and get the full crop of the day's papers and tabloids. Some are bound to have guest lists, and it's reasonable to assume that not everyone is going to attend. Find a way to get to their garbage and go through it. We'll need only one if we play this right. Good job, little sister—now get some sleep, and we'll go over the next part of the plan tomorrow."_


	5. Chapter 5

§ § § -- September 18, 2004

The triplets had had an unusually restless night, and Leslie, worn out from feeding, then changing diapers, then comforting one or another crying baby, was still asleep when Christian woke a few minutes past eight. He smiled at his sleeping wife, then gazed at the ceiling for a few minutes, thinking idly.

Leslie had three more gowns: another Carolina Herrera, a Christian Lacroix creation and an Yves Saint Laurent, the last of which she would be wearing to the ceremony. He himself had wound up doing a little clothes shopping as well, being fitted for two new custom-tailored business suits and a new tuxedo at Ellström Brothers, a Lilla Jordsö clothier catering to a very exclusive clientele that included the top strata of the upper class as well as the royal family. It was the same store where Leslie had acquired her new gowns. Christian was used to the place, for his mother had always bought her children's school clothes there; Leslie had been awed, and it had taken her more than two hours to choose from the various elegant, glittering gowns on display. He chuckled, remembering her overwhelmed aura; the salespeople had actually been charmed by her admiration of the merchandise, which surprised Christian. Those who catered to the super-rich usually put on some airs themselves, in his experience.

At the same time, the family had taken the opportunity to visit the store's children's department and purchase outfits for the triplets. Karina and Susanna would be identically clothed in silky soft pale yellow combed-cotton dresses with lace oversmocks and edging on the puffed sleeves; Tobias would be wearing a dark-blue jacket-and-pants set with a shirt that matched his sisters' dresses. After the ceremony, the five of them would sit for a formal portrait that would be released to the media and (to Christian's annoyance and Leslie's amusement) quite likely sold on such things as commemorative plates, mugs and teacup-and-saucer sets. He rolled his eyes to himself and smiled wryly. Gabriella had reminded him that these items were always issued after a coronation; but he didn't see why the same thing should be done on this occasion. Apparently, since the triplets' birth, he, Leslie and the babies had become a source of endless fascination for the _jordiska_ people.

Christian got out of bed and pulled on a shirt and a pair of jeans to have breakfast in. Coming out the door, he saw Ingrid just emerging from her little mid-bank room across the hall, a room that had traditionally been set aside for the servant assigned to care for the next heir to the throne. Since young Prince Matteus Enstad didn't live in the castle, the room was vacant, making it a convenient spot for Ingrid to stay. "Your Highness," the girl said and curtsied to him.

"Good morning, Ingrid," he said. "You may as well have something to eat; Leslie's still asleep, and since her night was so unsettled I'd like to leave her undisturbed as long as she wants. She'll send for you if she needs help with the triplets."

"Very good, Your Highness," Ingrid said with another curtsy and followed him down the west corridor toward the great entry. She would go down to the kitchens and get something to eat there.

By the time Christian reached the dining room, he was a little bewildered by all the bows and curtsies and deferential greetings of "Your Highness" that various servants had given him all the way there. As soon as he saw his family at the table he asked, "What's the reason for all the formality this morning? Was my title actually restored last night, and I slept through it?"

"No, of course not," Anna-Laura told him while he rounded the table and took his usual chair. "But they know today's the day you officially regain your title, and they've been told to observe deference."

Christian snorted. "They always showed the proper deference. There's no reason this should change things. It's as if they're going out of their way to remind me that I'm about to be weighted down again with the title I'd so looked forward to shedding when I married Leslie. So what's so interesting about the newspapers?"

"You, of course," Carl Johan said, chuckling. "Here, take a look; it's all over the front pages. The first and only royal ever to give up the title and then get it back, in all _jordisk_ history. For all the rage and disgruntlement Father showed when you were born, it seems you have a lucky star of some sort, and it's only now beginning to shine."

"Beginning to!?" Christian echoed. _"Herregud,_ if this is only the beginning, I shudder to think what may lie ahead! The next thing you know, at this rate, the country will be campaigning to make me king, and believe me, that's the last thing I want!"

"Don't worry, Uncle Christian, I'm not giving up my throne," Gabriella assured him dryly, touching off laughter. "Where's Aunt Leslie?"

"The triplets kept her awake for a good bit of last night," Christian said. "I thought it better that she get some extra sleep so she can face the ceremony later. What's on the menu this morning, then?"

Near the end of breakfast Ingrid emerged at a run from the door that led down to the kitchens in the lowest level, and Carl Johan grinned. "Leslie must be awake," he said.

"Undoubtedly feeding the triplets," Christian agreed, smiling wryly. He signaled a servant and instructed the young man to bring up a full breakfast for Leslie, then finished his own meal in short order and arose. "Briella, do you think we'll need another rehearsal?"

"I expect it couldn't hurt," Gabriella said. "We'll have it in my suite, since it's the biggest room in the north wing. Everyone, we should hurry, for the servants will close off the great entry once we're all back in our own rooms, and we'll have no further access until the ceremony begins. And I told them to set up a special platform for the triplets so that they can be easily seen by the audience and they can be near you and Aunt Leslie at the same time, Uncle Christian. Gerhard, is the security in place?"

"They've been here for the last four days keeping the entire castle under surveillance," Gerhard told her. "Lars' entire company is deployed here, and they're all armed, just in case something comes up. You know, Briella, considering the scope of this whole operation, I'm starting to be afraid you'll have to raise taxes just to pay for all this."

Gabriella snickered. "We do quite well for a country whose population at last count was a little more than 750,000. We may not be Arcolos, but we have our resources, and we know how to pinch a _krona_. So there was plenty to cover the whole event. After all, when you re-crown a prince, you want to do it properly."

"You aren't going to put an actual crown on me, are you?" Christian asked.

Anna-Laura turned in her seat and smiled slyly at her younger brother. "Just so you know, _ungstebror_, we do in fact have something for you—the tiara Kristina wore when Arnulf was made king. You'll look adorable in it."

"Oh, that does it—no more playing with the triplets for you," Christian shot back, laughing along with her. "No, I ask only because no one's outlined exactly what will happen to 'officially' confer my royal status. You can crown a king or a queen, but I doubt any other country on earth has ever crowned a prince. For that alone I expect to find this whole thing very intriguing."

"At least you didn't say you're dreading it," Anna-Laura remarked, earning a good round of laughter with that, even from Christian. "Go to Leslie and the triplets, and let's get this thing started. The media will be here in two hours or so."

Leslie looked up when Christian came into their suite and brightened. "I was starting to wonder if you'd abandoned us. I hope you slept better than I did."

"Well enough," Christian said, coming to her and kissing her. "I hope the triplets are in a better mood this morning. They have a long day ahead of them."

"They woke up happy, at least," Leslie said, "so I guess all my getting up and down last night paid off. Thank you for sending up breakfast, my love…when the triplets' feeding got started, I realized I was hungry myself."

"Not that you got to eat much, I notice," Christian observed sympathetically, noting her mostly-untouched plate on a tray nearby. Ingrid was feeding Susanna; Leslie had to hold both Karina and Tobias, which precluded her making any inroads in her breakfast. Christian sat down beside her and supported Tobias for her, freeing her hand and earning him another grateful smile from her.

"What's the status?" Leslie asked around bites of her omelet.

"Anna-Laura says the media will arrive in two hours, so that gives us enough time to finish feeding these imps and get them and ourselves ready for the ceremony. Gerhard tells us security is in place and has been there since Wednesday, and Briella decided one more rehearsal might be wise and said it would be held in her suite. When Ingrid's finished with Susanna, I'll send her down and have her find out when Briella wants to do it." He peered down at Tobias, who was watching him intently while he nursed. "Are you proud of yourself, young man, the way you and your sisters kept your mother up last night? Oh, look at that innocent little smile! You little devil, you!" Leslie giggled, watching Christian teasing his little son and the smile Tobias gave his father despite his full mouth.

As always, Karina finished first, and Christian lifted her from Leslie's embrace and threw a cloth over his shoulder to burp her, watching Leslie trying to eat left-handed. Just as she put her fork back onto her plate, Tobias reached over and grabbed the abandoned breast as if he wanted to take in whatever his sister might have left behind, making Leslie and Christian burst out laughing. "You little glutton," Leslie teased Tobias, "can't you give Mommy a chance to eat her breakfast too?"

"At that rate he'll want to finish your omelet as well," Christian kidded, patting Karina's back. "I was watching you with the triplets last night when they were crying, and I noticed movements in Susanna's crib while you were trying to calm Karina. She's discovered her hands. She had them in the air and was staring at them, with the fingers all spread out, flexing them slowly every so often. She looked very studious, I thought."

Leslie giggled. "I was so busy trying to settle Karina and Tobias down, I never saw her doing that. I guess Susanna at least will be pleasantly occupied while they're giving you back your title." Christian laughed, and Karina burped at the same time Susanna decided she'd had enough and turned her head away from the bottle.

Several minutes later Ingrid laid Susanna on her stomach on the bed beside Christian, who told her to go and check on when Gabriella wanted the family for their last rehearsal of the ceremony. When she was gone, Tobias at last decided he had had enough, making his mother sigh with relief and lift him to her shoulder. Christian held Karina in one arm and gently rubbed Susanna's back with the other hand, grinning at the smile she gave him. Leslie looked on with a misty little smile. "You're such a wonderful daddy," she said.

Christian looked around at her and said seriously, "I made a conscious decision somewhere in my twenties that I would never treat my children as my father treated me. I was very fortunate that I had Mother as an example of what parental love should be."

"I remember making up my mind along similar lines when I was nine or ten," Leslie said. "The twins and I learned to cope with Michael's moods, but Mom and he had enough arguments about his treatment of us that I knew this wasn't what real fathers did."

"You heard your parents arguing as well?" Christian asked.

She nodded. "It was usually behind closed doors, but in Susanville their room was across the hall from mine and I could always hear them. Sometimes if Mom got mad enough, she gave Michael hell right in front of us." Her gaze grew unfocused for a moment; then she looked at Christian. "I didn't know you heard your parents fight…"

"Not every time they fought," Christian said, "but every now and then Father would do or say something that raised Mother's ire enough for her to announce her disapproval in front of witnesses. You may remember that there was a day just after we met, when I told you I had seen enough unhappy marriages. I was speaking primarily of mine to Johanna, but I was also thinking of my parents, and by the time we met, Arnulf and Kristina had a well-established pattern of arguing about his high-handed treatment of me or the servants. For all Kristina's grief over Arnulf when he died, their marriage occasionally got stormy, and I can remember times when I thought they'd divorce if Arnulf weren't so dead set against the very idea." He blinked, as if snapping back to the moment, and suddenly smiled. "Ach, that's all history now. We may both have had resentful fathers, but we also had loving mothers to teach us the proper way to treat our children. And while I wish the triplets had the opportunity to be spoiled by both their grandmothers, I'm glad they'll have Mr. Roarke. I think he really enjoys being a grandfather, don't you?"

"I know he does," Leslie said and grinned. "If I know Father, he's going to talk to them in Spanish and give them a third language." They both laughed, and she glanced at the bedside clock. "All right, Tobias Lukas Roarke, get that air bubble up now. We've got a lot to do before you and your sisters are presentable to the public."

Ingrid came back to tell them the rehearsal would be in ten minutes, and Christian and Leslie set about putting away the assorted baby detritus and changing the triplets into fresh diapers and clean sleepers. Leslie quickly put on a T-shirt and jeans, and she, Christian and Ingrid each carried a triplet down to the royal suite. Most of the family would merely be looking on during the ceremony; the only ones who really had to do much of anything were Gabriella, Christian and Leslie. So Amalia, Liselotta and a reluctant Margareta each took charge of a baby while Anna-Laura went over the speeches with the three participants.

"Listen," Christian broke in suddenly, "if the triplets are supposed to officially be given titles as well, shouldn't they be brought up onto the dais for whatever Briella plans to do? And while I'm asking, what _is_ the plan?"

"Are we supposed to actually get crowns?" Leslie wondered.

"No, we have something slightly more primitive," Gabriella said with a grin. "Since Uncle Christian is wearing his dress uniform—which includes the military accessories he earned back in 1981—I'm going to add a special pin to the collection. Aunt Anna-Laura helped me think it up. It's an 18-karat-gold pin about ten centimeters across, engraved with the full name and title."

"Of course," Anna-Laura added wryly, "to make it fair, we had to commission more such pins for the other men in the family. And no, we're not going to hold a special ceremony just to give them the pins; Briella's already handed them out to Carl Johan, Roald, Gerhard and Rudolf."

"And then the women got jealous," Rudolf added, chortling, "and the same had to be done for them as well! So everyone has a pin now—it's only that you and Aunt Leslie and the triplets will be getting yours in the ceremony."

Christian and Leslie looked at each other, and Leslie uttered, "Wow. All that just for a twenty-minute affirmation that you're being made a prince again."

"Exactly so," Christian said, glancing around the room. "Am I allowed to see this pin before it's actually presented to me?"

"Here, you can look at mine," Anna-Kristina offered, hoisting Natalia onto her hip and coming over to join them. She dug into her jeans pocket and extracted a shining golden crown-shaped pin. Christian took it and squinted at it, then snickered.

"I'm amazed you got her full name on that," he remarked, handing it to Leslie. "I have to congratulate you for that at any rate. All right, so what are we to do? I'd prefer to get this done as quickly as we can, so that Leslie and I can bathe the triplets and have enough time to get ourselves ready as well."

Anna-Laura shook her head. "Leave the triplets to servants," she advised. "There isn't enough time for you two to do it yourselves. All right then, Christian and Leslie, you two stand over there—that will be the west-corridor archway—and Liselotta, Amalia and Magga, you stand behind them with the triplets…"


	6. Chapter 6

.§ § § -- September 18, 2004

"_Listen—this is our last chance. I didn't want to do it this way, but it seems it's the only option left to us. You have the invitation?"_

"_Yes, in my pocket. I hope they'll let me in, wearing this rag."_

"_They will, you have an official invitation, and the attire isn't important. Make sure you blend in with the crowd. If anything happens to the rest of us, at least one of us will still be alive to try again at a later date. Since they allow only one person per invitation, you'll need to try to remain as close to the door as you can, and watch for a moment when everyone is engrossed in that silly ceremony. If you can do it during applause or some other fairly noisy moment, that will be ideal. We'll be waiting within sight of the door and watching for you to open it, and when you do, that will be our cue. We'll storm the entrance and overwhelm the guards there, and then we'll take them out—all of them if possible."_

"_The entire royal family? You never said—"_

"_Don't look so hopeful, you fool. We have no grudge against the royal family, only her. We'll—"_

"_But they took her in—they all deserve to die, every last one of them."_

"_No! Without question you're the most wasteful human being I've ever known. We take out only those directly involved; the rest of the family is not our concern. If you keep your head, we'll achieve our goal and have a better chance of getting away with it. Now, let's go out to the car and get everyone placed so that we'll be able to get onto the grounds."_

The family was once again gathered in Gabriella's suite, this time so that the women could be made up; Gerhard, Rudolf and Roald were amusing their baby cousins and joshing one another from time to time. Christian and Carl Johan were going over the agenda for the talk show they would be appearing on the next day; Anna-Laura, Amalia, Leslie, Anna-Kristina, Gabriella, Liselotta and Margareta were simultaneously having their faces made up by the family's usual makeup artist and several assistants. Servants were caring for Matteus, Viktoria and Lisi in the room where their older relatives had all been tutored in English as children. A cold September rain lashed the windows, making them all grateful to be inside.

"And you'll never guess who else is on the guest list," Anna-Laura was telling Amalia and Leslie. "I invited our distant cousin, Duke Sebastian Markelius! He's going to bring his son along with him."

"He has a son?" Amalia asked in surprise. "When did that happen?"

"Years ago," said Anna-Laura, chuckling. "The young man is twenty years old, and his mother is one of the Vikslund girls. As a matter of fact, it was the one Christian dated back in the early 80s, shortly after Esbjörn died. The woman thought Christian was the boy's father, till it was proven otherwise."

"We found out on Fantasy Island about a year ago," Leslie said.

"Oh…yes, that's right!" Amalia said and smiled ruefully at herself. "After the revelations came out, the duke kept such a low profile that I utterly forgot about him. It will be good to meet him. Did he seem personable to you, Leslie?"

"Very much so," Leslie told her. "Christian and he hit it off pretty well, and they still e-mail each other periodically. Oh, Anna-Laura—did Errico and Michiko respond to the invitation you sent?"

"Yes, they'll be here," Anna-Laura assured her. "Ach, I hope they don't get soaked in that terrible rainstorm out there. I think it's as well Briella plans to turn the aftermath of the ceremony into a small celebration. It might give the rain a chance to go through so that our guests can leave without being drenched. I truly hope Christian doesn't complain about the _hors d'oeuvres_ the way he always used to do. I told the kitchen staff to be certain the buffet was a substantial one."

"We'll still have dinner after the party, I'm sure," Amalia said. "If Christian doesn't get his fill at the buffet, he can make up for it then. Oh…now that it's on my mind…since the duke met his son, what of the boy's mother? What's his relationship with her, if he has one?"

Anna-Laura chuckled. "Sebastian was a bachelor, but once he learned of young Kurt's existence, he apparently became aware of his own mortality. But he found Ingela too embittered by her father's banishment of her and Kurt to Stockholm, and after they worked out terms in regard to Kurt, they went their separate ways again. It's my understanding that he took Kurt in, legitimized the boy and gave him his surname, and then moved permanently back to the Markelius home in Sommarhamn. He's sending Kurt to Premier University and giving the boy all the opportunities he can. Now and then I hear from Sebastian, and he keeps me informed of events in his life. I understand he's looking for a wife, and he went so far as to mention that he hopes to meet someone at today's party. If not, Leslie, you and Mr. Roarke may find him back on Fantasy Island as a guest."

Leslie grinned. "That wouldn't be unusual, helping a guest find someone to fall in love with. He's a good-looking guy and he seems very nice, so I don't expect he'd have much trouble finding a woman."

"That's what they said about Christian," Amalia remarked, amused, "and it took him thirty-eight years to find someone he could love." The women laughed, and the conversation rolled along, occasionally interrupted by the makeup artists' efforts.

They finished just less than fifteen minutes before the ceremony was due to start, and once more Liselotta, Anna-Laura and Amalia each appropriated a triplet while the rest of the family filed out to take their places on the dais in the great entry. The women with the babies followed Christian and Leslie into the west corridor, where they stood behind the heavy white drape that always went up on such occasions. The women cooed softly to the triplets, while Christian and Leslie stood quietly beside each other, composing themselves for the ceremony.

Eventually Anna-Laura noticed. "What's wrong with you two? You won't even turn around and talk to your children?"

Christian peered at her over his shoulder and said, "I thought this was supposed to be a solemn occasion, in the manner of a coronation."

"Perhaps it is to you," said Anna-Laura, chuckling. "I thought it more lighthearted than the coronation of a new monarch. After all, it's a reward, remember."

"It is?" Christian asked dubiously, and Leslie snickered while Anna-Laura rolled her eyes at Amalia and Liselotta. He grinned at Leslie, and she slipped her hand into his as they stood listening to the chatter in the great entry.

At last a fanfare sounded—not the same one Leslie remembered from Gabriella's coronation, but a more subdued one—and Anna-Laura urged, "Go on, that's your cue. We'll be right behind you with the little ones." Christian took a deep breath, then moved ahead; Leslie fell into step beside him, and the servant waiting by the curtain pulled it back to let them pass into the great entry. The talking had stopped, but when the women emerged behind Christian and Leslie with the babies, the reaction was loud enough to be heard easily over the music. Christian and Leslie grinned at each other, proceeding hand in hand to the red carpet that lay along the middle of the stone floor and led them to the dais.

On the top tier stood Gabriella, with a young female page beside her holding a small pillow. Christian and Leslie ascended the tiers and stopped in front of Gabriella, as they'd been instructed. The women with the babies filed up after them and gathered several steps away from the triplets' parents, joining the rest of the family in their position atop the dais where they would witness the ceremony. Meanwhile, Christian bowed and Leslie curtsied to Gabriella, who nodded in response; and the fanfare ended.

The great entry quieted and Gabriella spoke. Of necessity she had to do it in _jordiska_; but Leslie had been told what the words meant, so she at least wasn't ignorant of the proceedings, even if she couldn't exactly follow the speech. Some of the translation scrolled through her head now as she stood listening to Gabriella and watching Christian, whose gaze remained steady on his niece.

"Citizens of Lilla Jordsö and honored guests, we gather here today to observe a once-in-a-lifetime event. My Uncle Christian, though he makes his home elsewhere, continues to be an asset to his native country. He grew up here, beloved by our people; he maintains a business here and contributes to the nation thereby; and his loyalties lie with us as they do with his adopted homeland.

"This month he has done our people a great service. He accompanied a shipwreck-salvage excursion into our waters and was instrumental in bringing home the original royal crown commissioned by Queen Freyja II—a crown that was lost in 1542 and has at last come home. After a diver found the crown, my uncle saw to it that it was promptly brought to shore to be restored and placed on display, where all our people will have the opportunity to see a piece of our history.

"For his service to our country, it is my honor, privilege and pleasure to announce that my uncle is once again to bear the title with which he was born, the title he relinquished upon his marriage." Gabriella turned to the page, who lifted one of the gold pins off her pillow and placed it in the queen's hand. Gabriella faced Christian once again and carefully fastened the pin to his uniform just under the row of military pins he had earned during his mandatory service; then she addressed the gathering. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you His Royal Highness, Prince Christian Carl Tobias Enstad of Lilla Jordsö." She nodded at Christian, who bowed to her once more, then turned to face the people as well while they applauded. Leslie stood just behind him now, smiling with pride and admiration. Christian might have objected to having his title "hung on" him again, as he had put it at least once, but he never let it show, and accepted it with all the grace and elegance of true royalty.

Gabriella spoke again, quieting the adulation. "By my decree, from this date henceforth, Prince Christian shall be afforded all the rights, privileges and responsibilities held by a prince of the realm, and shall be known and treated accordingly. Will you all please acknowledge the full restoration of his title." In response, the assembled crowd bowed or curtsied to Christian, who nodded once in return.

Then he stepped back so that he faced the audience, with Leslie on his right and Gabriella and the page at his left. Abruptly realizing it was her turn, Leslie quietly cleared her throat and trained her gaze on Gabriella, who surreptitiously winked at her. Leslie just barely managed to hold her reaction back to a small smile; Christian grinned outright. "As the wife of His Highness, Prince Christian, you also receive the title you gained upon your marriage, as well as all the rights and privileges appended thereto." The page gave the queen another pin, and Gabriella carefully attached it to Leslie's dress just below her left collarbone. Then Leslie curtsied before Gabriella announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Her Royal Highness, Princess Leslie Susan Enstad, wife of Prince Christian."

She turned and faced the assemblage, her heart pounding with nerves, and felt her face heat up with embarrassment at the collective bow and curtsy. But she smiled and nodded her acknowledgement, then gratefully stepped back beside Christian while Amalia brought Susanna up. Gabriella took another pin and hooked it to the infant's lace oversmock through two of the holes, so as to avoid fraying the garment, then grinned broadly and said, "Her Royal Highness, Princess Susanna Shannon Enstad."

Amalia handed Susanna over to Leslie while Liselotta arrived next and Gabriella repeated the process, saying, "Her Royal Highness, Princess Karina Skye Enstad." Liselotta settled Karina in Leslie's other arm and slipped out of the way to rejoin Gerhard, making way for Anna-Laura to take her place. Gabriella affixed the last pin, giggling softly when Tobias reached for the coronation ring his cousin wore on her right ring finger, and concluded, "His Royal Highness, Prince Tobias Lukas Roarke Enstad."

Anna-Laura handed her small nephew over to his father and stepped back, and the gathering once again applauded for their newly restored prince and his family. Christian supported Tobias with one arm and slipped the other around Leslie, who smiled at him. When the applause seemed as though it might continue indefinitely, Christian leaned to her and muttered, "I have that rock-star feeling again. Next thing you know we'll have to sign people's autograph books."

Leslie giggled, her tension eased further still when the rest of the family flanked them. The noise and the unusually large gathering had begun to get to the babies; while Tobias merely seemed curious, the girls were both whimpering a little, and Leslie felt it more than heard it. Christian noticed too. "I think we'd better see that the triplets are sent back to our suite," he said.

"I'll get word out," Roald offered and slipped off the dais to summon servants who waited behind the long _hors d'oeuvre_ buffet. Three of them came out to meet Christian and Leslie at the edge of the top tier, where they handed the infants over; Christian instructed them to get Ingrid to stay with the babies. The servants bowed or curtsied acknowledgement and started for the west-corridor entrance.

Just then there was an odd disturbance in the sound of the chatter that had risen after the conclusion of the ceremony; Leslie glanced idly up, in time to see that for some reason, the main entry door was open. Before she could fully register this, screams arose from the back of the room; several men lunged for the door to shove it closed again, but not before she saw something dark fall to the ground outside it. Behind her she heard Christian exclaim, _"Va' for helvettens skull—?"_ and at the same moment, a figure clad entirely in white broke away from the gathering and vanished into the east corridor of the south wing.


	7. Chapter 7

§ § § -- September 18, 2004

Leslie whirled around and cried to Christian, "Did you see that?"

"Every bit of it," Christian said, scowling in mingled bewilderment and annoyance. He snagged another servant and barked out instructions to him in staccato _jordiska_; the servant gave a hasty acknowledgement and collared several more of the staff behind the buffet, all of whom climbed the dais near the back wall, dashed across and headed into the south wing's west corridor. He turned to Leslie and pulled her into his arms. "I told him about that person in the white clothing and where he or she went, and to find them if at all possible. I have a feeling there's been some attempted incident, but unless we can get in contact with the security people, we won't know what went wrong."

Anna-Kristina appeared beside them. "What happened? All I saw was the open door and then someone running into the south wing."

"We don't know, _Kattersprinsessan,"_ Christian said tensely, his gaze trained toward the south wing's west corridor. "If they find that person, we might get some answers."

The crowd milled around in confusion, though oddly, the level of alarm remained low and the men who had closed the door now stood in front of it like a line of defense. Leslie and Christian, standing huddled together near the edge of the dais where they had barely moved from the spot, both noticed Gabriella conferring urgently with Gerhard. Then Christian stiffened; Leslie looked up at him, noticed that he was staring down toward the other end of the great entry, and followed his gaze. Three of the men in front of the door had moved aside and were admitting two men in uniform, who immediately began to make their way up to the dais. People parted quickly for them, and Christian and Leslie hastily joined the family in the center of the dais, Christian alerting Gerhard that the security men were on their way up. Gerhard nodded, pulled Liselotta to his side and waited.

The security men climbed the dais and bowed to the royal family. "Your Highnesses and Your Majesty," one said. "We've managed to prevent what could have been an extremely tragic incident here. Someone opened the door from inside the great entry, and immediately a group of black-clad figures rushed it. We barely caught them before they would have overwhelmed us and gained entry into the castle. Some quick-thinking guests pushed the door closed again, and we had a chance to defend ourselves and the building. We apologize, but it was necessary to use extreme measures. There are two bodies outside—we have already notified the constabulary in Sundborg."

The royal family looked at one another; Leslie, feeling cold, pressed in closer against Christian. Gabriella demanded, "What did they look like?"

"We haven't touched the bodies, Your Majesty," the security man said. "Their faces aren't visible; they're dressed entirely in black and even the faces are covered."

Gabriella nodded, frowning heavily. Before she or anyone else could say anything, the servants who had chased the mysterious figure in the south wing returned, panting. They all bowed. "Our apologies, Your Majesty—we found no one anywhere in the south wing," said the servant to whom Christian had initially given orders.

"There was someone else?" the security man asked.

"Yes," Christian broke in, "at least three of us saw a person in white break out of the gathering just after the door was closed. Whoever it was ran into the east corridor of the south wing." He shook his dark head slightly. "So there were three of them, apparently, from the sound of it."

"More, I dare say, Your Highness," the security man said. "One of my men tells me he saw at least one person running away. In the confusion we were unable to get more details or pursue this person."

Gabriella waved it away. "The important thing is that everyone here is safe, and whatever plot was to have been carried out here was thwarted. Let me inform our guests." She stepped out to the front of the top tier and began to speak in _jordiska_, raising her voice; the security men moved out to stand behind her.

Christian said to the servants, "You've done what you could—go back to your stations, and thank you." The servants bowed again and left them, and he sighed and gave Leslie a squeeze that the others didn't miss.

"Your foreboding was right," Carl Johan said to her. "We must thank you, all of us, Leslie, for your sharing your worries with us. You allowed us to prevent something truly heinous happening here." He glanced between Christian and Anna-Laura. "Perhaps we dare continue the celebration, with the threat past us now."

"Are you sure it'll be all right?" Leslie asked. "I just hope the servants got the triplets back to our room before all this started."

"I'll send someone to check," Rudolf told her and went off to do so. Christian smiled and gathered Leslie in close.

"I think Carl Johan's right, my Rose," he said softly. "The threat's gone, the danger has subsided, and we're all safe. Why don't we try to get past this and put our guests back at ease, and take comfort in our happy ending?"

Leslie hugged him, then smiled back. "I guess that's the best thing we can do," she agreed, then grinned. "Besides, I don't want to miss my chance to see Michiko."

"That's the spirit," chuckled Christian, kissing her quickly. The family laughed, then dispersed to mingle with their guests.

"_How could it fail?? This plan, so carefully laid out—how could we have failed? I can take no more of this! We should have waited till she was alone and simply shot her!"_

"_She was never alone, you idiot! She doesn't leave the castle by herself, she's always with someone in the family. It was an impossible maneuver from the beginning—both of you had ideas, and the one was unworkable while the other simply failed. There's nothing more we can do now."_

"_It's time to give up and return home. It's true, we can do no more."_

"_I__ won't admit defeat. I'll __never__ admit defeat as long as she can claim any happiness. I want her to__suffer__! I want her to know a loss like ours before I end her life!"_

"_And how do you propose to carry this out? We have no money left."_

"_I've been creating my own plan against the likely failure of this one. I have access to all the resources we need. The only thing lacking is the two of you, and we have to do this together, for now we're all that remains. Are you with me?"_

"_Very well, we're with you. But if you fail this time, I'll end your life myself, with my bare hands. That's no threat, it's a vow. So this had better be good."_

"_It is. Shut up and listen to me this time. You'll see…"_

Christian and Leslie had spoken with Errico and Michiko for a few minutes, told them they should definitely join the family for dinner since they were staying in one of the south-wing suites, and thanked them for coming. "And for surviving that scare with such good grace," added Christian jokingly.

Errico grinned. "A little reminder of one's mortality is good for the soul," he said. "I do wish you could remain long enough for a side trip to our little paradise and to attend Carlono's wedding. When he took the chance to get to know the Vallomoros heiress, he found her very much to his liking after all, even though he had been doubtful when he sought help from you and Mr. Roarke."

"I've gotten to know Seniça a bit," said Michiko. "She's gracious and poised, a perfect fit for royalty—but she has a wonderful sense of humor too. And Carlono's become quite the oenophile lately. He wants to help Seniça run the vineyard, but he insists that their main residence be in the palace. 'No royal Bartolomé lives outside the palace,' according to him."

"It's quite true, _cari mie_, we don't," Errico said, and Michiko rolled her eyes, making Christian and Leslie laugh. "Ah—there's Prince Frederick! I really did wish to speak with him…" He broke away, making a beeline for the prince of Denmark who stood some little distance away, and Michiko grinned apologetically, congratulated Christian on regaining his title and followed Errico.

"Well, well, cousin prince, it's a great pleasure to see you once more," said a voice, and this time Christian and Leslie found themselves facing Duke Sebastian Markelius. He was beaming at them. "You're back among the royal ranks again, then! My heartiest congratulations to you—and as well, on your triplets. I've seen little of them except on television and in the magazines, but they are certainly beautiful babies. I'm relieved they're unharmed after that little scare earlier."

"Thank you," Christian said and smiled, shaking hands with Sebastian.

"I'm told you brought Kurt," Leslie said.

"I did," Sebastian affirmed, "and he's quite the poised and polished young man. I've taught him to sail, to ride, to hunt…he turns out to be a talented fellow and very personable. He's modest, too, which I must admit you don't often find in our social circles. In fact, he even has a girlfriend—which, I'm sorry to note, is more than can be said for me." He smiled wryly in response to Christian and Leslie's laughter. "I had hoped to meet someone here, but it seems all your other guests came in pairs. I believe I had better plan a trip to that lovely island you two live on, so that perhaps I can get some professional assistance in finding a suitable lady. While I've made Kurt my heir and may not necessarily want more offspring, it has occurred to me that one day he'll marry and quite likely make his own home, and that will leave me alone once more. And I find solitude no longer agrees with me."

"Then you'll be welcome to the island," Leslie said. "Just let us know and we'll do all we can to accommodate you. To be honest, I'll be glad to get back."

"I'm of the same mind as Leslie," Christian said. "Perhaps there we'll finally have a little peace, and we can return to our quiet lives."

Sebastian smiled. "May it be so. A pleasant trip home, both of you, and many thanks." He moved off, and Christian and Leslie turned to the next well-wisher, both silently hoping that Sebastian's wish would be true.

* * *

_What will happen back on Fantasy Island? The final installment will be coming soon, so stick around!_


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